Tax Planning For High Net Worth Individuals
Looking for effective ideas for tax planning for high net worth individuals? Understanding the nuances of estate taxes and using an estate tax exemption would the necessary steps advised by an estate planner or financial advisor to protect well-earned wealth. The tax burden of high-net-worth individuals is huge, but with appropriate planning and effective strategic asset management, the obligation can be reduced to a large extent.
STRATEGIES FOR FAMILIES WORTH $5 MILLION TO $500 MILLION
7 Secrets To High Net Worth Investment Management, Estate, Tax and Financial Planning
The insights you’ll discover from our published book will help you integrate a variety of wealth management tools with financial planning, providing guidance for your future security alongside complex financial strategies, so your human and financial capital will both flourish.
Clients frequently share with us how the knowledge gained from this book helped provide them tremendous clarity, shattering industry-pitched ideologies, while offering insight and direction in making such important financial decisions.
Estate planning coupled with sophisticated tax strategies enables more of your wealth to go to your beneficiaries. See from this article how the advice of a professional estate planner could help you pass on your assets and avoid spending money needlessly on taxes and other expenses.
Advanced Tax Planning and Estate Management
Advanced tax planning for high-net-worth individuals is not just about preparing for the next tax deadline; it involves a long-term strategy that includes estate tax, capital gains, and income tax considerations. An estate planner or wealth advisor can find tax-effective options for transferring assets efficiently, using the estate tax exemption while aligning your financial goals with the estate plan.
What Are Some Advanced Tax Planning Strategies For High Net Worth Individuals?
The following are tax planning strategies for high-net-worth individuals. Your tax planner or financial advisor can recommend the strategies that may apply to you, once they have an understanding of your complete financial situation, including your assets and financial goals.
Charitable Trusts: Huge Tax Benefits and Lifetime Income for You
Utilizing vehicles like a charitable remainder trust can offer dual benefits—reducing your estate’s tax liability while supporting causes you care about. These trusts can also be a strategic tool for income tax purposes, providing you with financial benefits alongside tax savings.
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GRAT (Grantor Retained Annuity Trust)
A GRAT is an effective way of transferring property with relatively less implication for estate tax. Creating a GRAT involves reducing the taxable value of the assets belonging to the grantor; therefore, it maximizes the use of the estate tax exemptions and makes estate planning effective.
Estate Planning and Asset Transfer
These are strategies an estate planner can clarify, aiming to minimize tax liabilities. Through methods like strategic gifting or tailored trusts, the goal is to ensure your assets are transferred to your beneficiaries as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
Reducing Capital Gains Tax
High-net-worth individuals can make the best use of strategies designed to reduce capital gains tax. The bottom line would be that financial growth is not overly eaten away through taxes, either by good investment decisions or the use of trusts.
Incorporating Powers of Attorney
In comprehensive estate planning, you will delve deep into preparing for the eventualities that may occur and limit your ability to make decisions. It remains strategic, therefore, that you incorporate durable powers of attorney for financial and health decisions so that your estate, together with your well-being, is taken care of in a manner that will not conflict with your preferences even when you are gone or incapacitated. This includes identifying the person or persons who have the mandate to take care of financial transactions, investment decisions, and medical care based on the guidelines you set. This secures not only your assets but also your healthcare choices. It guarantees that there are individuals out there who are doing their best to not only manage your assets but also protect your legacy and your name, no matter the circumstances.
1031 Exchanges
A 1031 rollover structurally allows an investor to roll his capital gains from the sale of one property into purchasing a new similar property. This process enhances the invested estate, such as by acquiring a building but not immediately facing a tax liability.
10 Tax Planning For High Net Worth Individuals
- Invest in Municipal Bonds
- Convert Your IRA or 401k to a Roth
- Contribute the Maximum to 529 Plans
- Contribute the Maximum to Your 401k
- Contribute the Maximum to Your Health Savings Account
- Adjust Your Real Estate Strategy
- Increase Your Giving
- Donate Items of Worth
- Start a Donor Advised Fund (DAF)
- Do You Have Access to High Net Worth Financial Advice?
1. Invest in Municipal Bonds
Though the growth of municipal bonds tends to be lower than that of equities in the long term, all the interest from municipal bonds is tax-free. Suppose you earn 3.5% from a municipal bond and 6% from an equity-based mutual fund. After taxes, these aren’t as far apart as they appear.
Plus, in a down year for equities, bonds work to stabilize your portfolio and should be part of any healthy asset allocation. So if you’re going to pursue an optimized asset allocation with bonds anyway, why not make municipal bonds part of the mix?
Some states also exempt municipal bond interest from taxation. If you live in one of those states, you save twice.
If you want to find a financial advisor who knows which securities to invest in to lower your tax payments, click here to read our exclusive guide.
2. Convert Your IRA or 401k to a Roth
Roths have contribution limits, and high-net-worth households are generally excluded from using them. But because Roth investments grow tax-free, the allure of getting your money into them should motivate you to be on the lookout for other ways to do it.
Rolling over your traditional IRA and 401k investments into a Roth might be your best option.
How and when you convert your traditional accounts to a Roth can get complex, so we’re not going to get into those details here. But the important thing is to start early. Why?
Because in the year that you do a rollover, you will pay taxes on the amounts you roll into your Roth. So the sooner you roll those funds in, the more years they’ll have to grow tax-free. Some people like to roll over a portion of their investments into a Roth annually, keeping the taxes manageable each year.
But you can get brilliant about this by pairing up your Roth conversions with other tax minimization strategies on this list. For instance, what if you do a big rollover the same year you install solar panels? You can use the sizable solar tax credit to offset the one-time tax bill from the rollover.
Get creative with the timing of this, and you can score some huge long-term tax-free growth, even as a high net worth household.
To learn more about which tax minimization strategies help high net worth individuals, order a free hardcover copy of our book, 7 Secrets To High Net Worth Investment Management, Estate, Tax and Financial Planning – Strategies For Families Worth $25 Million To $500 Million.
3. Contribute the Maximum to 529 Plans
Just like a 401(k) at the workplace, your contributions to a 529 plan grow tax-deferred. This is significant, especially to parents, since the money can be used, when the children enroll, for eligible educational expenses. Recent changes in tax law enable these funds to pay for the cost of not only colleges but also K-12 private and religious schools.
Over the years, with accumulated funds, these plans will support your children in gaining an education, if appropriately designed.
In fact, it is not always the parents that contribute; grandparents fund many plans, and they invest in the future education of their grandchildren. So, it becomes an gift toward the education of the child, up to $15,000 per annum by each individual and $30,000 by couples.
Note: These contributions are not deductible on your federal taxes, but they are in most states.
4. Contribute the Maximum to Your 401k
The maximum contribution that can be made to a retirement account is $18,500. The plan allows a further $6,000 a year for catch-up contributions by those reaching 50. This is a great opportunity for investing in your financial future, given that you are getting ready to hit retirement age.
In addition to these contributions, there is a financial perk above and beyond just saving for the future: they are tax-deductible. In other words, the amount contributed is deducted from total income for tax purposes, reducing the individual's tax obligation. This can, in turn, serve as a strategic tool for managing their investment portfolios. We offer further insight on how to get the most out of your portfolio's performance to maximize your financial growth and security.
Click here to read our guide on how to improve portfolio performance.
5. Contribute the Maximum to Your Health Savings Account
Do you see the trend here? The amounts you can contribute to these accounts aren’t massive. But do it every year, and they add up to a sizable amount.
Anyone can contribute to their health savings account (HSA), up to $3,450, while a married couple can hold as much as $6,900. Those 55 and older can contribute an extra $1,000 as a catch-up contribution.
Added benefits to HSAs are that they can grow tax-free. Then, you can use the funds for medical expenses at any time; it's not like having to spend and lose money each year, but more like a Flexible Spending Account.
Let’s pause for a minute and add these up.
Here's what you can get if you contribute the maximum to your 401k, 529, and health savings account: Those are tax-deductible contributions either at the federal, state, or both. Look at your gross income each year and consider how much is being reduced, either singly or in combination, through these three strategies.
To deduct more, click here to arrange a free consultation session with our wealth managers.
6. Adjust Your Real Estate Strategy
The recent tax law reduced the maximum mortgage value, for which you can deduct payments, down to $750,000. Also, interest on other homes is no longer deductible.
For now, then, the days of substantial real estate tax write-offs are over. From a tax perspective, you should consider adjusting your real estate strategy to focus on profits and income rather than on tax minimization. How that looks for everyone will be a little different.
If you need help finding a financial advisor who can help you figure this out, read the 1st chapter of the 7 Secrets book for individuals having over $10 million in assets.
7. Increase Your Giving
The most recent tax legislation has increased the deduction to $24,000 for couples, a level that you are, as a high-net-worth individual, likely to outgrow. Tax law allows a deduction for contributions to charity of up to 60 percent of your adjusted gross income, and 30 percent of the limit applies to contributions of appreciated assets.
When you decide to donate to charities that resonate with your values, you not only channel your funds into areas you're passionate about, but you also decrease the portion of your income that is subject to taxation. This strategic giving benefits causes you care about while simultaneously reducing your tax liability, offering a win-win for both your philanthropic and financial goals.
8. Donate Items of Worth
You can donate much more than money. You can give real estate, stock options, clothes, cars, airline miles, and other items that nonprofits can use. You can even donate old wedding dresses, for example. Some nonprofits specialize in collecting and reselling used wedding dresses.
The great thing about donating items is that you’re not touching your accounts, but you still get the tax benefits. So, finding things to donate that you probably wouldn’t have sold anyway is like getting a free tax deduction. It’s a terrific tax strategy for high-net-worth individuals.
9. Start a Donor Advised Fund (DAF)
Here, you set up a fund that grows tax-free and contribute your own money to it. Then, over time, you give away this money to nonprofits of your choice. You can also bequeath this fund to your heirs so it continues funding causes you care about even after your death.
The great thing is that the year you contribute to your DAF is the year you get to claim the tax deduction. NOT when you give the money to charity.
Did you catch that?
For instance, suppose you set up a donor-advised fund and seed it with $200,000. Then, over the next 15 years, it grows, and you give out $10k here, $20k there, and $5k over there to various charities.
In terms of taxes, you get to claim the entire $200,000 deduction in the year you donated it.
Do you realize how powerful that is? It offers you a similar opportunity as the solar tax credit (not quite as good because this is a deduction, not a credit, but you can give unlimited amounts to a DAF).
Here’s the opportunity: If you pair up a gift to a donor-advised fund with something that has a sizeable one-time tax bite (such as a Roth conversion), the deduction from the DAF gift can offset the conversion cost.
So again—get creative with the timing of these.
If you’re older, you can also combine this with your required minimum distributions (RMDs). Contributing to a donor-advised fund the same year you take a large distribution can blunt the tax consequence that action typically would have triggered.
You have to make the amounts work out in your favor, and the math can get tricky. So, it would be wise to enlist the help of a high-net-worth financial advisor so you can maximize your tax savings in the years you take these actions.
Remember, in a mission to achieve financial serenity, tax minimization comes as part and parcel of cost control. If you are a high net-worth investor, you cannot just shoot for high performance. Instead, it will take a series of changes that help you make your way toward your financial goals. If you would like some help creating a wealth management plan, click here.
10. Do You Have Access to High Net Worth Financial Advice?
Whether you need help with high-net-worth tax planning strategies or not, Pillar caters to households with high or ultra-high-net-worth. We've helped many high-net-worth households cut their taxes using the strategies and the ten tips you've just read.
If you’re in a high net worth household and are ready to do whatever it takes to slash your tax bill, schedule a Wealth Management Analysis meeting.
In your meeting, we will show you tax minimization strategies that you can use this very year, explicitly based on your unique financial situation.
Schedule Your Analysis Meeting Today and talk to one of the wealth managers.
4 Tax Minimization Strategies
1. Aim for Long-Term Capital Gains
The benefits realized are good returns on your investment as an investor. Selling an asset enables a person to realize a profit, where the realized profit is in the form of capital gains.
Any gain realized from selling that asset within one year represents a capital gain, while any gain realized from selling the asset after holding it for at least one year allows for lower capital gains tax rates.
For example, if you are single and your income is less than $41,675, the long-term capital gains tax rate is 0%.
2. Consider Starting a Business
These days, the majority of people start a business remotely. If you belong to the category of home-based business owners, you may have noticed that owning a business is not only taxing but also comes with the advantages of being a small business.
For example, any money spent in running your business is deductible from your income, in relation to taxes.
In the case of home use for a business, it can be construed as a business expense and be tax-deductible. These expenses can consist of utilities, homeowners' insurance, property taxes, purchases of computer equipment, and any other purchases necessary to operate the business.
3. Maximize Your Retirement and Health Savings Accounts
Take maximum advantage of retirement accounts offered by your employer, such as a 401(k), or open an Independent Retirement Account (IRA). Your contributions to such savings accounts are tax deductible. You will not pay taxes on your contributions until you begin to make withdrawals, typically when you retire, and you fall into a lower tax bracket, which reduces your tax burden.
Similarly, if you open a Health Savings Account, your contributions are not taxed, even when you withdraw funds for medical reasons (there must be qualified expenses).
4. Claim Tax Credits
Remember to make the most of every possible credit come filing season. Among others, you might be eligible for the Earned Income Credit, which is dependent on your annual income. If you want to explore new opportunities through enhancing your education, you’ll be able to deduct your education costs. Credits can be used if you have a child or any other dependents.
Evaluating and Combining Tax Strategies
Before embarking on tax planning—a critical activity for the high-net-worth individual—the financial advisor needs a clear understanding of the individual's financial situation, family, or business, along with their financial challenges and objectives. In light of that understanding, each tax-advantaged tool must be evaluated for its benefits and risks.
Process & Costs to Build Advanced Tax Structures
The tax advisor may have a process for defining the appropriate tax strategy for the client. It may have three steps:
1. Deep Dive
This means gathering complete and detailed information about the financial status of the client. This could include, though not be limited to, sources of income, investment portfolio, tax liabilities, deductions, and credits, and any other kind of financial commitments or assets. Having carefully collated these details, the advisor can determine if the client's tax situation could be improved. In this respect, different strategies and approaches should be considered to assess whether there may be opportunities for the optimization of tax liabilities, resulting in a more favorable financial outcome for the client.
2. Plan
Develop a comprehensive plan drawn from a range of tax-advantaged mechanisms designed to dovetail with the distinctive financial landscape of the client. This includes detailing the client's financial status, understanding the client's short- and long-term investment goals, and identifying the most beneficial tax-saving instrument available. The tax plan takes into account the client's income, investments, and potential future earnings for each recommended tax strategy to optimize its tax benefits and, at the same time, support the client's overall financial objectives.
3. Implementation
The implementation of the tax strategy may include overhauling an existing estate plan to make it conform to current tax laws and the financial goals of the client. This may include the design of trusts, which can provide tax advantages and protect the client's assets for posterity.
The establishment of a limited liability company (LLC) or other relevant entity in connection with this tax plan can bring advantages, like asset protection and tax efficiencies, all dependent on the client's situation. Conducted with care and designed specifically for the needs of the client, each phase in this process comprises a financial strategy that effectively minimizes tax liabilities while securing the wealth and legacy of the client.
What is tax planning, and why is it essential for high-net-worth individuals?
High-net-worth individuals can reduce their tax bills by using strategies such as gifting assets, establishing trusts, and utilizing life insurance, which also preserves wealth for future generations.
Is it feasible for wealthy families to benefit from philanthropic giving?
High-net-worth individuals can reduce their capital gains taxes by donating long-term appreciated assets.
What innovative instruments are available now for HNWIs to save their money efficiently and, maybe, tax-free?
HNWIs also enjoy the benefits of trusts, life insurance with no end date, and 1031 exchanges, which are all effective tools for tax reduction.
Can taxation be deferred for the wealthy under estate planning?
Estate tax may be reduced by deploying irrevocable trusts.
What part, precisely, does life insurance play in tax planning?
The insurance premiums can grow tax-free and loans from the policy may be tax-free.
The question that arises is, what kind of international taxation law applies when an individual with varied holdings spreads across countries?
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has determined that foreign-earned income is taxable on a worldwide basis, and hence, all income must be reported according to the stipulations of the Internal Revenue Code.
What will happen to high-net-worth individuals due to the revision of the tax laws?
Alterations of income tax law can result in differences in estate and gift tax exemptions.
How can the wealthy use family-limited partnership (FLPs) to their advantage in tax planning?
An FLP can shift wealth to the next generation, and it can shift income and the related tax to the next generation.
What is the importance of timing in tax planning for high-net-worth individuals?
Shifting income or expenses from one year to the next can affect tax liability.
Which criteria are essential for high-wealth individuals who are searching for competent tax advisors?
Assessing the services provided and their affordability is of paramount importance here since the question becomes. "What the service worth?" Budget is an essential factor to consider, along with the profitability of the services you pay for.
To be 100% transparent, we published this page to help filter through the mass influx of prospects, who come to us through our website and referrals, to gain only a handful of the right types of new clients who wish to engage us.
We enjoy working with high net worth and ultra-high net worth investors and families who want what we call financial serenity – the feeling that comes when you know your finances and the lifestyle you desire have been secured for life, and that you don’t have to do any of the work to manage and maintain it because you hired a trusted advisor to take care of everything.
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